The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-11-21

there were oranges IN about every State
and Territory in Tie Union, and about
$4,000 wcro in good standing when the
annual meeting was called 10 order in
Charleston, $. c., in the nll of that year.
Mr.. Saunders, who had been the master
during the first five years Of the life Of the
! society, had declined a reelection in 1872,
hut had been chosen chairman Oi the cX-
ccutivc committee. This committee had
control OF the finances, and they had been
wCll managed. For the information Of the
Charleston meeting Mr. Saunders had pre-.
pared financial statement, which showed
that the grange had ON deposit with the
Farmers loan and tr,st company, oi New
| York, SNi, 900 in United States registered q
per cent bonds, besides something like
So ono in other funds This money came
from the collections oi per capita taxes and
| the charge of SO, which was made to
every grange when u charter was granted.
| The headquarters in Washington were
conducted upon business principles The
secretary WIS paid an annual salary of
1000; thirty clerks were kept constantly
busy, and they were paid salaries which
| insured competent men, Besides this, u
monthly journal was published, which was
| the organ OF communication between the
National headquarters Every subordinate
grange in the country received copy of
the paper each month, ~ that every mem
her oi the orlcr mightbc kept posted upon
the work aud the prospects ol the orgdni-
| yntion. When the annual meeting OF 1919
was called To order Il soon became cyi-
| dent that financial prosperity wis dislstc
iul To many OF the delegates Some one
! thought that there was danger in the
amount Of the fund reported Ia be- IN the
/ hands of the executive committee. \ rCsO-
luton was introduced directing that, IA
there could he no possible usc for this large
sum in the hands OF the officers ol the Ma
| tiunal Grange, II should be reduced by dis
| trihuting - 10 each ol the subordinate
/ oranges in the country. This resolution
/ was adopted, and the insult Nns that the
| fund WIS depleted to the cNtcntui S,b, ,OOO.
| Then, in orlcr that thcru might Dee still
! less danger Of the accumulation oi treas
uiy surplus, one intelligent granger moved
/ that the per capita tax bc p'duccd from 10
| cents to Z cents This seemed Tn hc in the
nature oi rctrenchmCnt and Wiorm, and II
Was adopted, ailcr struggle. NcNi, some
one else proposed that th1c was really
| very little necessity Tor the continued pub
licaton Of the monthly journal. II was
| suggested that Il was q great expense, and
| that the state grnnps ought io be- the
mediums OF communication between the
| head of the organization nnl the whordi-
uulCs. More economy. The S1HUg.
/ ton assumed only the form Of mo-
iion, wasadopicd, anl the National Grange
| paper was soon 4 thing of The past. when
| The meeting oi 1879 ldjonmcl IL hal uc.
| Compli-hcd NJ much as WIS pussihl''OWarl
| the disinicguiion Of the oricr The CN-
crcdingly poor policy that had been llii
| out and followed by the Chulcsion meet
/ ing was soon apparent. The mlury W the
| secretary was pguccd tp nominal Igur,
| the grange organizers. who had prr,inusly
| been paid pn guuuh salary. Nerp put ulun
| u per diem allowance. and within year
applications ior new chtttvU ulmuz, cCas Il
la consequence. Tho hcniuWticr, nl
Washington wcr soon abandoned lhrn
WIS no medium IT cpmnunici.unl between
the head officers pf the drlur aud the indi-
vidrnl oranges Instead ~ sticking 81 tho
| original idcu ui ury.'Hg ia disgufr The
wants aud needs oi the nriruIluuilis,
sumc oi the leaders in the stat" urun.a-
iions suggested that The grange. them
selves t1ko tie place ot The manufacturer
aud tllc merchant. Plows and other lum.
| ing implements were to o. made without
the nid NJ tho greedy manufacturer The
- allowance 60 each mung", which was
| paid U.lpr thr diyy Ufului'lu WAS passed,
WIS used Hs nucleus hy sc,"rl ol thc
, state pIugrs u manufacturing fund.
| The ycuiuU WIS not surJr,s, and ID ~
| believed that thrW is ne, now Finvlo
| uuurr iu tie country which u irving IN
uNU ihp functions NJ tho Manufacture pr
iunirymln Within two y"Hn after the
Charleston meeting ihr number ui rmnr-
began tp diminish and there WIS cuuc.
| 4pOn.ling DECREASE iu ihC numb. ui guing.
en- aud heavy falling on he the amount
pf the per capita tnN This continued
until last year Scarcely single now
| grange Was cailhlifhrd iur several yt1u
nu ih" rom -ifv ih" numh"r in ulDl stand.
ing steadily diminished until instead ~ the
2jUOD which Urr' rpou,d in ls,i. thrr'
wcrc lpss than 1900 in 1854. lls'lrs
This, the cutting down 1T thr tax reduced
th, rrripig oI th, headquarters tu such uu
cst,nt tl.t u became urr uy ip dmw
upun thr capital which hal hc,u -1yod up
ior thc puipry oi erecting q building iUr
the headquarters
II SOON became evident t0 lhpac Who
hld taken th' greatest Interest Ice ihr
organization TINT thc urlcr II Patrons II
| Ilusilnify would supn be- Doomed w
the meantime rival surioiics. calling them.
| SELVES Tho wheel iu some places unl
! "Fnmpn' Alliance In Others, begin tn
spring up in different parts ui ihr country,
and an effort WIS iuluguEiird iu pl1ru thc
grange Dn ils feet awin. Within th" plfi
| year there have been opuniycl between
two and thpc hunCWd new HmnmH aud
soypml oi those which hnd forfeited THEN
| charters have been rtuf,IiIird, liui The
gunnm F.ill lack q great deal oi their
ionucr power
Nir Saunders vai asked 10 What De- M.
tibuird the docadCncr oi ihn ORDER llC
replied that The resolution which brought
about the dironlnuanc, ~ ihr monthly
publication WIS the flint step. ns ii Cut Uil
communication between thr bead uf The
order aud the individual runw-. second,
the distribution oi the fund anil th" fr'
duciiun oi the tax. THIS prevented tho
carrying out oi the plans by which Il was
iulcilcd t1 make the order power for
the good oi the farmers. llo explained
that II wssiho intention oi tho OrunlOn
to establish permanent headquarters iu
| Mn.hiugi0n in building which should
l nave W'u NMN'N lN WV FiNiI.' ~
thought that the management ui nillin
had boon bad, and pointed ont the or,mi
Eriion ol thc wheel" aud "aIlibrOct,' n'
indicating lhlt with proper management
tho a.IIJuIurria can bo Orunifci luI
their own good. he thinks that Che pros
poet ior the future Of the organization ;.
brighter liIu % hHs been before in many
years. and hc believes that II thr arnuuI
meeting now iu sesion adopts ihr right
coun.r II .s HIll possible to recover No" lusI
ground, aud make q long stride in advance